News

JN Civils installs new CDE waste recycling plant

Blackpool-based JN Civils has taken another step towards more sustainable construction with the commissioning of a new CDE wash plant for construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste recycling.

Installed at the company’s Olympic Way facility, the bespoke wet processing plant has a capacity of up to 150 tonnes per hour and is expected to significantly improve resource recovery while reducing waste disposal costs.

Founded in 2010 by managing director Joel Cossins, JN Civils has grown into a well-established provider of civil engineering, utilities and infrastructure services across the UK.

Prior to investing in its own recycling facility, the company transported excavated material to a third-party CDE wash plant for processing.

Operations manager David Scott said: “It was a workable solution to recover as much material as possible, but haulage costs, processing fees, and delays in being able to return those materials back to use meant we needed a more sustainable option over the long term.”

Using the external facility also gave the company first-hand experience of CDE's technology and laid the foundations for a long-term relationship.

“It showed us just how impactful the CDE wash plant was,” David added, “and set us on a path to explore commissioning our own plant.”

CDE business development manager Nathan Loboda-Smith said: “Bringing wet processing capabilities in-house gives JN Civils greater control over material quality, availability and, importantly, cost, all while creating a platform for sustainable growth through the sale of recycled products to construction and groundworks customers.”

A visit to CDE customer IMS in Dublin, where the technology could be seen operating in a live environment, further reinforced JN Civils' decision to proceed with the investment.

“This is understandably a major investment for us, so we did our due diligence,” David explained.

“We looked at what was available in the market, not just in terms of the technology itself, but also the expertise and support available to us once the plant is commissioned. CDE was outperforming on all fronts. The other options wouldn’t have delivered the capacity we needed, nor the quality. When it came to aftercare and keeping us up and running, CDE’s availability and proactivity was unmatched.”

The new installation includes an R4500 belt feeder with integrated feed hopper, an AggMax™ scrubbing and classification system, an EvoWash™ sand washing plant with patented Infinity™ dewatering screen technology, an AquaCycle™ thickener for water management and an X3 ProPress™ filter press.

Designed for operation within a compact urban site, the system processes CD&E waste into a range of washed products including fine and coarse sand, together with 10-4mm, 20-40mm and 80-40mm aggregates.

As an Environment Agency-certified business, JN Civils is targeting the recycling of 90% of its waste, producing high-quality recycled materials for use on its own projects and for sale into the wider construction sector.

“This facility will allow us to reach that ambitious goal, initially helping us to recycle up to 80 percent of our excavation waste, extracting sand and stone materials to meet product specifications,” David said.

“It’s a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainability, supporting the circular economy, and providing enhanced value for our customers. By integrating this technology, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint and enhance our operational efficiency.”

Since entering service, the wash plant has already opened up new commercial opportunities for the business. Recovered materials are being reused across JN Civils' own projects, while surplus production is creating an additional revenue stream through external sales to construction and groundworks customers.

CDE ProMan David Gordon said: “The vision for this project was clear from the outset; to help JN Civils take greater control of its waste streams, improve operational efficiency, and recover high-quality materials that can support sustainable construction. We’re proud that the plant and our partnership with JN Civils is delivering strongly on all of these aims.”